# 3D-Printed Plant-Based Steaks Researchers are Developing Cruelty-Free 3D-Printed Meat By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2018-10-11 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3d-printed-meat References: [3dprinting](https://3dprinting.com/news/researchers-develop-plant-based-steak-printing-method/) As the demand for [cruelty-free food products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/planteneers-fiildmeat-s-111404-system) grows, so does the potential for additive manufacturing—and now, researchers in Barcelona are developing solutions for creating completely meatless 3D-printed meat. Giuseppe Scionti and a team out of Spain are making "steaks" from plant-based ingredients that mimic the texture of meat in an authentic way. This process takes about 30 to 50 minutes to create 100 grams of "meat" from a paste made with pea or rice protein powder. After the plant-based steak has been printed, it is ready to be cooked. While the making of the [plant-based steaks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-plantedsteak) heavily relies on additive manufacturing, Scionti also notes that he also uses "techniques that are normally used for [cultured meat](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cultivated-meat) and techniques borrowed from bioprinting and adapted for use with materials for plant-based meat." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.3/10 - Popularity: 88% | Activity: 93% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Cruelty-free Food Products:** Opportunity for developing innovative solutions for creating meatless alternatives using additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, to meet the growing demand for cruelty-free food products. - **Additive Manufacturing in Food Industry:** Opportunity for utilizing additive manufacturing technologies like 3D printing to create plant-based meat substitutes with authentic texture and taste. - **Bioprinting Techniques for Plant-based Meat:** Opportunity for adapting bioprinting techniques and materials for creating plant-based steak that mimics the texture of meat. ### Who This Affects Most - **Food Production:** Opportunity for food production companies to embrace additive manufacturing technologies to create cruelty-free meat alternatives using plant-based ingredients. - **Biotechnology:** Opportunity for biotechnology companies to explore and innovate techniques for creating plant-based meat using bioprinting and other advanced technologies. - **Sustainable Agriculture:** Opportunity for sustainable agriculture companies to develop plant-based protein sources like pea and rice to be used as ingredients for 3D-printed meat alternatives. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Printed Cultivated Meat Steaks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cultivated-steak.md) - [Printed Plant-Based Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/printed-plant-based-burgers.md) - [Bio-Printed Fish Fillets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cultivated-fish-fillet.md) - [3D-Printed Eel Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3d-printed-eel.md) - [3D-Printed Shrimps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3d-printed-shrimp.md) - [Cultivated Beef Morsels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beef-morsels.md) - [3D-Printed Salmon Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/salmon-alternatives.md) - [Fermented Plant-Based Steaks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plantedsteak.md) - [Prepackaged Meat-Free Steaks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plantbased-steaks.md)